Mr. Trump would later admit to Mr. Woodward that publicly, he “wanted to always” play down the severity of the virus. Mr. Woodward conducted 18 interviews with the president for the book, which goes on sale next week. Mr. Trump also granted Mr. Woodward access to top officials inside the White House, revealing the inner workings of the president and his administration. Mr. Trump minimized the risks of the coronavirus to the American public early in the year. “I wanted to always play it down,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward on March 19.

Source: New York Times September 09, 2020 22:53 UTC